SSH connect to a server: "Permission denied (publickey)."

Question

I'm trying to connect to a remote AWS (Ubuntu) server using SSH and keep getting this error msg:

Permission denied (publickey).

On my local machine, under ~/.ssh/config I have this set:

Host someserver
    User potatouser
    HostName serverone.mysite.com
    Port 22

Host dashboard
    User potatouser
    HostName ec2-66-66-66-666.compute666.amazonaws.com
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/dashboard
    Port 22

Running in the terminal: ssh someserver works fine, asks for a password, and connects me.

Trying to connect to the second server with a private-key.

-rwx------ 1 potatouser potatouser 955 Feb 13 16:49 dashboard

-rwx------ 1 potatouser potatouser 398 Feb 13 17:13 dashboard.pub

On my AWS server, under my user, ~/.ssh/ there is a file named: authorized_keys which has something that looks like a public key inside of it, looks something like this:

ssh-rsa asdasfagdsasfafsafadsfafs..... 
....
...

I tried creating a new public file on my server named dashboard.pub (with the same content) in case it's following the file name (?).
I tried adding to my config file the setting: IdentitiesOnly yes since I have more than one key files (id_rsa, git repositories keys).
I tried editing the files /etc/ssh/ssh_config and /etc/ssh/sshd_config setting PasswordAuthentication to yes ( + sudo service ssh restart).
I tried changing the HostName in my config file to an IP instead.

ssh -v dashboard:

OpenSSH_7.5p1 Ubuntu-10ubuntu0.1, OpenSSL 1.0.2g  1 Mar 2016
debug1: Reading configuration data /home/potato/.ssh/config
debug1: /home/potato/.ssh/config line 25: Applying options for dashboard
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 19: Applying options for *
debug2: resolving "66.666.666.666" port 22
debug2: ssh_connect_direct: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to 66.666.666.666 [66.666.666.666] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file /home/potato/.ssh/dashboard type 1
debug1: key_load_public: No such file or directory
debug1: identity file /home/potato/.ssh/dashboard-cert type -1
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_7.5p1 Ubuntu-10ubuntu0.1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_7.6p1 Ubuntu-4ubuntu0.2
debug1: match: OpenSSH_7.6p1 Ubuntu-4ubuntu0.2 pat OpenSSH* compat 0x04000000
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Authenticating to 66.666.666.666:22 as 'potato'
debug3: hostkeys_foreach: reading file "/home/potato/.ssh/known_hosts"
debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ECDSA in file /home/potato/.ssh/known_hosts:25
debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys from 66.666.666.666
debug3: order_hostkeyalgs: prefer hostkeyalgs: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521
debug3: send packet: type 20
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug3: receive packet: type 20
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: local client KEXINIT proposal
debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,curve25519-sha256@libssh.org,ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,ext-info-c
debug2: host key algorithms: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,ssh-ed25519-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-rsa-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-ed25519,rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ssh-rsa
debug2: ciphers ctos: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,aes128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc
debug2: ciphers stoc: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,aes128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc
debug2: MACs ctos: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: MACs stoc: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: compression ctos: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: compression stoc: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: languages ctos: 
debug2: languages stoc: 
debug2: first_kex_follows 0 
debug2: reserved 0 
debug2: peer server KEXINIT proposal
debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,curve25519-sha256@libssh.org,ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1
debug2: host key algorithms: ssh-rsa,rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ssh-ed25519
debug2: ciphers ctos: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com
debug2: ciphers stoc: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com
debug2: MACs ctos: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: MACs stoc: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: compression ctos: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: compression stoc: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: languages ctos: 
debug2: languages stoc: 
debug2: first_kex_follows 0 
debug2: reserved 0 
debug1: kex: algorithm: curve25519-sha256
debug1: kex: host key algorithm: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256
debug1: kex: server->client cipher: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com MAC: <implicit> compression: none
debug1: kex: client->server cipher: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com MAC: <implicit> compression: none
debug3: send packet: type 30
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_ECDH_REPLY
debug3: receive packet: type 31
debug1: Server host key: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256 SHA256:asdsadasd
debug3: hostkeys_foreach: reading file "/home/potato/.ssh/known_hosts"
debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ECDSA in file /home/potato/.ssh/known_hosts:25
debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys from 66.666.666.666
debug1: Host '66.666.666.666' is known and matches the ECDSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/potato/.ssh/known_hosts:25
debug3: send packet: type 21
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: rekey after 134217728 blocks
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug3: receive packet: type 21
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: rekey after 134217728 blocks
debug2: key: /home/potato/.ssh/dashboard (0x560d7aa11fd0), explicit
debug3: send packet: type 5
debug3: receive packet: type 7
debug1: SSH2_MSG_EXT_INFO received
debug1: kex_input_ext_info: server-sig-algs=<ssh-ed25519,ssh-rsa,rsa-sha2-256,rsa-sha2-512,ssh-dss,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521>
debug3: receive packet: type 6
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey
debug3: preferred gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /home/potato/.ssh/dashboard
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey).

I noticed this:

debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /home/potatouser/.ssh/dashboard

Could this be becuase it's looking for the dashboard file instead of the dashboard.pub?

Please don't repost your question. Edit your original question if you want to provide more information. — Gerald Schneider, Feb 14 '19 at 09:40
2 different errors, shouldn't i open a new question @GeraldSchneider — potatoguy, Feb 14 '19 at 09:42
Where is this a different error? It is copy&paste from the previous question — Gerald Schneider, Feb 14 '19 at 09:44
`Permission denied (publickey).` vs `Load key "/home/potatouser/.ssh/dashboard.pub": invalid format` after figuring out i have used the wrong key. @GeraldSchneider — potatoguy, Feb 14 '19 at 09:45
Are you trying to ssh from a remote server to another remote server? try running eval `ssh-agent` after logging into the first server — hookenz, Feb 14 '19 at 10:14

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 14 '19 at 10:06

0

The public key you are trying to use must be in the target system's authorized_keys -file or it won't be... well, authorized.

Copy your public key's (.pub) content in there, on a new row, and you should have a correct authentication method. If this is the only public key you use, you can just remove the authorized_keys -file and rename (move) the new keyfile as "authorized_keys".

Just copying your public key file "as is" to the target system's .ssh -directory will not be enough.

answered Feb 14 '19 at 10:06

DocWeird

103
4

And make sure the private key file has the appropriate permissions. `chmod 600` from memory – hookenz Feb 14 '19 at 10:43
The content of the file `authorized_keys` already contains the same string of my public key. – potatoguy Feb 14 '19 at 12:11
`authorized_keys` must be chmod'ed 644 on **remote** host – Archemar Feb 14 '19 at 14:54

SSH connect to a server: "Permission denied (publickey)."

1 Answers1